Transfer T20 ---> T6 Forum

A forum for those current students who are or may be transferring from one school to another. Post any questions, advice, or other transfer related comments here.
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legallybrunette09

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Transfer T20 ---> T6

Post by legallybrunette09 » Sun Feb 17, 2019 1:19 am

Thinking about transferring from a T20 to a T6 (most likely UChicago). My first semester GPA is 3.785, top 25% class rank, I have secured a 1L SA position (not big law, but strong regional in the Midwest > 500 attorneys). Is this a good idea? Do I even have a chance?
My main reasons to consider transferring are: 1) I am away from my SO and it was not what we had planned; 2) I want to ensure I land a job in Chicago; 3) I would like to work for a v50 firm.

The Lsat Airbender

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Re: Transfer T20 ---> T6

Post by The Lsat Airbender » Sun Feb 17, 2019 2:49 pm

Chicago Law would probably be a meaningful upgrade for your goals (assuming you're not leaving a big scholarship behind at your T20 and that your T20 isn't WashU, which has decent Chicago placement for the top quarter of the class). So yeah, good idea, and I'd look at Northwestern/Michigan too.

As for chances, you have a realistic shot but top 25% isn't super competitive either - probably on the low end of people that get accepted.

wishywashy

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Re: Transfer T20 ---> T6

Post by wishywashy » Thu Feb 21, 2019 4:56 am

Consider Chicago ED, and don't forget Northwestern and Michigan. I am a fan of applying broadly too if you can afford the app fees/get waivers (so rope in NYU, Columbia, Penn, and Duke too). I would rather have 4 admits and a choice over shooting for only 2 schools and risking getting no admits. Just saying don't be too narrow in which schools you apply for - you may be surprised at how you react when you have that Penn/Duke/t14 acceptance in hand. Just watch out for how the OCI works and dig a little on how they place in the midwest/Chicago.

legallybrunette09

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Re: Transfer T20 ---> T6

Post by legallybrunette09 » Fri Feb 22, 2019 10:09 pm

wishywashy wrote:Consider Chicago ED, and don't forget Northwestern and Michigan. I am a fan of applying broadly too if you can afford the app fees/get waivers (so rope in NYU, Columbia, Penn, and Duke too). I would rather have 4 admits and a choice over shooting for only 2 schools and risking getting no admits. Just saying don't be too narrow in which schools you apply for - you may be surprised at how you react when you have that Penn/Duke/t14 acceptance in hand. Just watch out for how the OCI works and dig a little on how they place in the midwest/Chicago.
Thanks for the advice! Is it worth it for me to transfer for only an about 5 spot move? (talking about transferring from my school to Duke, for example). I could have gone to a lower T-14 in the northeast but I decided not to because I got a much better scholarship at my current school (about 70%). That is one of the reasons why I was looking at T6s (and more particularly U of C because I want to be close to family and I want to work in Chicago). If I finally decide to apply I will probably blanket T6 (although I do not think I have a shot at HYS) but I am not sure whether going to a lower T14 would be worth losing my scholarship money.

<3waitlists

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Re: Transfer T20 ---> T6

Post by <3waitlists » Sat Feb 23, 2019 10:23 am

Most people transfer for better job prospects (mainly an OCI with more and/or better firms) or better clerkship prospects. Conventional wisdom here, for instance, is that if you're top 10% at GW, it doesn't make sense to transfer to GULC. If your school has relatively close placement stats for what you want as DCNG, I don't think it'd make sense to ditch a 70% scholarship to start over at DCNG.

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Npret

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Re: Transfer T20 ---> T6

Post by Npret » Sat Feb 23, 2019 10:58 am

Does your current state school place top 25% students in Chicago?

icansortofmath

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Re: Transfer T20 ---> T6

Post by icansortofmath » Sat Feb 23, 2019 9:53 pm

You should transfer unless your T20 is Northwestern or a school that places really well in Chicago.

wishywashy

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Re: Transfer T20 ---> T6

Post by wishywashy » Thu Mar 07, 2019 7:13 am

As other people mentioned, I would weigh how your current school places graduates in Chicago (at your class rank) against how any t14 places graduates in Chicago (to be safe, look to see how median gpa-rank t14 student places). If Duke places just as well, I might still go with Duke over your current even with the scholly loss (see below)

If your current school gives you what you want then transferring may not be worth the 70% scholly loss. On the other hand, if we hit a recession and employers buckle down on hiring and fall back on prestige (i.e. prefer t14 over t20) then transferring might have benefits as a hedge against graduating into a bad economy or otherwise open more doors in the future (I emphasize *might* have benefits, not shall).

As to your scholly, if you got a 70% discount on your 1L at your current school and then transferred you could pro-rate that discount over your remaining 2 years at new school when figuring your total law school cost. Some may see this as pure accounting trickery - but in my mind if you paid say $10k for year one old school and $60k (sticker) for year 2 and 3 at new school then that is almost like having gotten into the new school from the jump with a $50k scholly. So I guess I am saying you don't lose the money you already saved.

My personal bias is heavily towards prestige though- I think prestige matters (both in short term job hunt and the long term with how clients see you), debt only matters if you can't repay it easily so I don't worry too much about raw debt level as I do debt to income (and having little or no debt is not much of a comfort if you don't have a job), and I would rather be a graduate of a t14 than something out of the t14. Also, if my new law school could easily get me a job near my family I would not care that I had to spend 2 years away from them as much (law school does end - or so I'm told!).

TL;DR - If you can get into the t14 it is worth it, if that t14 places at least as well in Chicago as your current school (adjusted for your class rank).

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